How We helped Susan by Finding Her Dream Home

"I was very pleased, the market is very competitive right now but she advocated for what was best for our family. Because she's so well versed in her profession and craft, she was able to actually find a house that hadn't even hit the market, it was one of those coming soons. Because she is so well known, she was able to make those connections and contacts, and work out so we could see the house before it even hit the market."

Let Me Interview Your Agent!

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If you’re looking to relocate, you really want someone with local area knowledge. One of the biggest concerns of my relocating clients is not knowing the area that they’re looking in. Obviously, if you’re moving to Dallas, you don’t want an agent specializing in Ft. Worth. The agent should have local expertise, even down to the subdivision you’re looking at.

When I interview these agents for you, I will ask them the same questions that I would be asking if my cousin, brother, or mom was looking to move to another state. I ask questions including:

• How many homes did you sell this last year?
• What’s your average days on market?
• Do you work in this specific neighborhood? If so, how many homes have you sold here?
• What is your average list to sale price?
• Do you have a team?
• Is there someone available to help the client if a showing happens last minute?

If it’s for a seller, I’ll ask:

• What kind of marketing plan to do you create?
• Will you have professional photos and videos taken?
• What’s your average sale price?

These are all the things I would want to know for myself or my family members looking for a home in another area. Another way I can help is by actually checking their qualifications. I can see the designations they have, as well as their extended education, and even sales volume. It’s all verifiable data. I know what to look for - and it’s all a benefit to you.

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There can actually be a financial benefit in asking me to interview the agent for you!

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If you’re one of my active clients, there can actually be a financial benefit in asking me to interview the agent for you!

Thanks so much for watching today, I hope you learned something about how I can help with agents in the relocation. If you have other topics you're interested in hearing about, let us know and we’ll happily make a helpful video blog post for you!

What Are the Answers to the Most Commonly Asked Buyer Questions?

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Want to buy a home? Search all homes for sale.

The number one question I’m asked by buyers is, “How much do I need to put down on a home?” It depends on what programs you qualify for, so today, we’ll run through a few of your options.

If you’re eligible, your best bet is a VA loan. It requires no money down and its interest rates are very competitive. If you’re not eligible for a VA loan, there are local banks that offer community loans that require as little as $500 down. Conventional loans are another option, and they range anywhere from 3% down to 20% down, sometimes even more.

The next most common question I get from homeowners regards how long the process takes. How long does it take to find and purchase a house? Well, it depends on the price range and a few other factors, but generally speaking, it takes between 30 and 45 days to find the perfect home. The closing and loan process takes about 35 days from end to end, so if you have a lease coming up in July, you would really want to start looking at homes in May, at the latest.

Another question we often get is, “How do I stand out when there are multiple offers?” I truly believe that a big part of people missing out on a house is due to their Realtor and the way they wrote the contract. You obviously need to be creative and ethical in this market, but there are certain things that we can include in our contracts that will make the purchase look better to the seller.

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Interest rates drastically affect your ability to buy real estate!

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Buyers often ask how interest rates affect their buying power. If we use the example of a $200,000 house with a 20% down payment, you would have to put $40,000 down and get a loan for $160,000. At today’s interest rate of 4%, the payment on that is $763 a month. If the interest rate jumps only 1%, the payment becomes $858 a month. The difference is only $95 a month, but when you stretch that over the life of a loan, you’re looking at losing out on the equivalent of $20,000. In other words, interest rates drastically affect your ability to buy real estate!

The 5th most common question we get from buyers is whether they are buying at the top of the market. There are many things to look at to answer this question accurately. When you get a loan and you purchase a home, you have a fixed housing bill: you don’t have to worry about rent increases, you don’t have to worry about interest rate increases, and you’ll always know exactly what you have to pay each month. If you wait to purchase a home and interest rates go up, you have a whole lot less buying power, especially because home prices are expected to rise. In short, there isn’t a clear metric to see whether you’re buying at the top of the market, but from what we’ve seen recently, now is a fantastic time to make your move in the Denver area!

If you have any questions about Denver real estate, or if you need our assistance, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We would love to hear from you!